Bad Actor Clause To Be Included in New York Online Poker Bill

A bill put forward by State Senator John Bonacic that could lead to the legalisation of online poker in New York State has been revised to include bad actors clause.

The bill has already been approved by the New York Senate Finance Committee and awaits full vote at the State Senate.

A decision to revise the bill adding the bad actor clause came during the last reading of the before the full Senate vote.

Bad Actor Clause refers to those operators who after the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act were illegally active in the US. It has been included in various other states in online gaming bills.

If an operator has been involved in engaging wagers on interactive gaming with US residents after the cut-off date, may not be considered suitable for licencing in New York.

If the bill is passed in its current format, it could give online poker giant PokerStars nightmares, as they may not be able to gain a licence in New York as it was operational in the US after the 2006 cut-off date.